My mother was worried sick when I was coming to the US thinking about how I would do my domestic chores all by myself. Concerns about who would cook for me, do the groceries, do the dishes, wash my clothes, clean my room and dozens of other such issues kept her awake at night. Although I had similar worries, I knew that I would get the necessary guidance from a few friends who were already in the US. I was pleasantly surprised by the convenience and comfort of living in the US.
The main reason was the availability of all kinds of appliances and gadgets to help me in doing whatever I needed to do. The list started with an oven and stove-top cooking burners (with 24-hour availability of gas) and continued to refrigerator, dishwasher, washing and drying machines for clothes, garbage disposal, central heating and air-conditioning units, vacuum cleaner, humidifier, dehumidifier and so on. The bathtub, commode and availability of round-the-clock hot water were just icing on the cake. There were also abundant small electrical appliances such as blenders, toasters, hand-mixers, hairdryers, coffeemakers, shavers, toothbrushes, can-openers, pencil sharpeners, electric blankets etc.
Life got even more convenient with the subsequent introduction of microwave ovens, slowcookers, VCRs, trash compactors, remote garage door openers and power-assisted lawn mowers. Later in life, I enjoyed a whirlpool bath in my own bathtub. I started to wonder why such technological developments had not happened in India where even middle-class people still live a semi-rural life by American standards despite all the economic progress. This is puzzling to me because India has made immense progress in developing and producing heavy machinery. Progress has come, especially after 1991 and in many cases with major collaborations with foreign companies.
Even high-tech companies like Tesla now consider India to be a desirable place to manufacture products. Modern, high-rise buildings are a testament to the architectural and constructional expertise of Indian engineers. However, progress in what I would call “personal and domestic appliances” (PDA) has been slow. Some reasons for the early American superiority in this area are clear. A spirit of innovation for the purpose of improving everyday life is ingrained in all people and not just industrial engineers; this is uniquely American. Associated with that is a desire to do one’s own business as a career, no matter how small the business is. Modern day TV shows like “Shark Tank” promote this spirit of entrepreneurship. From the time American kids start to sell lemonade on the street, they get a taste of independence and the joy of having their own money. Equally clear are the barriers to such progress in India.
Two key necessary elements of inventing new items are money and availability of various parts; unfortunately, both are scarce in India. Then there is also the need for support and encouragement from parents, teachers, and the government which were non-existent when I was in India. Indian parents wanted their kids to study if they were not playing cricket. The fact that India has a virtually unlimited pool of workers available for domestic and outdoor help at minimal salaries makes investment in manufacturing household appliances unattractive for any company.
There is also resistance from labour unions. I remember when I was in college in India more than fifty years ago, there were frequent demonstrations by workers’ unions against the introduction of any kind of automation at the workplace. Then there was also the issue of availability of adequate power supply since most of these appliances operate on electricity. I remember those “load-shedding” days when I was growing up, although the situation has improved since then. India has been changing in dramatic ways in recent years. With more and more people in India, especially from the upper middle class opting for modern flats with all the amenities, and India aiming to become the third largest economy in the world, the market potential for such PDA products in India is huge.
According to information on the internet, revenue from the household appliance business in India is US $59 billion in 2024 (China is at $150 B) and is expanding at an annual rate of 7.35 per cent. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative, launched in 2014 is deemed to be successful as evidenced by manufacturing of cell phones and renewable energy products (such as solar panels and wind turbines); the number of cell phones produced annually in India is reportedly an impressive 330 million. However, many businesses that manufacture in India are owned by foreign companies; for example, the PDA market is dominated by companies like Samsung, LG, Bosch, Whirlpool, Electrolux, Panasonic, Philips etc. with Indian companies like Godrej and Bajaj holding on to small market shares.
I hope that the “Make in India” philosophy expands into the “Create in India” mindset. There are three aspects of a successful creation of any product: concept and design, cost-effective manufacturing and demand. India can offer all three in the case of PDA. The Japanese were the first to emulate American business success in making cars and appliances, but their cost-competitiveness suffered with the entrance of Koreans and later Chinese because of higher manufacturing costs. Koreans have made significant progress on their own and are competitive in products they have chosen to build and market, especially domestic appliances, cars and cell phones. The Chinese seem to be strong in all three areas. However, I believe that China is still in the mode of copying US technologies as opposed to inventing their own.
Indian engineers should be good in designing PDA devices if necessity is indeed the mother of invention. In India, equipment for cooking, cleaning, purifying water, administering medicine, portable heating/cooling, hauling, various solar-powered devices including lighting for dark areas, various types of toys etc. are all necessities; these should provide motivation for innovative new designs. I keep reading about joint partnerships between India and the US in several areas including defense, space, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, semiconductors, clean energy etc. But I believe that PDA devices can be created entirely in India and by Indians without any help from or collaboration with the US or other countries. Products are simple, investment is smaller and demand is higher.
All that is needed are government incentives and support. Buying PDA goods from a foreign company is like buying cooking utensils from abroad. It is also ironic that the most essential appliances in India are made by foreign companies using foreign technology when American universities are dominated by students of Indian origin, especially in STEM subjects and Indian employees are considered to be the best and most reliable in most American companies.
I am optimistic that creating domestic appliance products in India can be a key contributor to India’s prosperity because this will provide a) jobs to millions, not just in manufacturing but also in design engineering and sourcing of components, b) comfort and convenience to a larger section of population and c) contribute to growth in economy, not to mention the pride of complete ownership.
(The writer, a physicist who worked in industry and academia, is a Bengali settled in America.)